Our last day in Palm Desert

We head home today - back to cold and grey. I wish we could stay longer - I feel so much better when I am here in the warmth, color and beauty of this area. Off for one last looooong hike.

Tree Textures

 Another view of the Jefferson pine tree trunk in the San Jacinto (see yesterdays post). I especially like the right branch reaching up  in such a fluid motion.

Tree Lines

Hiking in the San Jacinto forest up above Palm Springs there are many old Jefferson pines. The wind, cold and dry air create wonderful patterns and textures on the downed trees. The lines create a very rhythmic movement along the branches. Makes me want to try and draw it!

Color, color, color

With only a few more days here in beautiful Palm Desert, I am soaking up as much warmth and color as I can. This hibiscus flower is only inches from where I am sitting and the color is remarkable against the blue of the sky. It just looks and feels happy as am I.

Cloud trails

Driving up to Palomar Observatory through the mountains I see this wonderful cloud combination. It looks like someone raked a hand through the lower clouds.

Another early morning sky

 The light here is so amazing and even the cloudy skies are beautiful though the sun is trying hard to break through over the mountains.

Quilt National Artists

The Quilt National Artists Community Website

http://quiltnationalartists.com/

Please visit the Quilt National Artists website to learn more about the best of contemporary art quilting. The image in the top left corner is a detail from my Forest Floor quilt which was part of Quilt National 2013.

Sage Timberwolf

One of the serendipitous things that happened while we were at Joshua Tree National Park was to meet Sage Timberwolf - a tame wolf that was an animal rescue. He now works in the movie and commerical industry. I have his business card - just in case I need a wolf for something! Has beautiful light blue eyes (his eyes never changed to the true amber color that adult wolves have). It was quite fun to be up close and personal with a wolf - tame or otherwise.

Joshua Tree National Park adventure

We spent a wonderful day with the grandkids at Joshua Tree National Park. They love to climb on rock and rocks there were - boulders, piles, giant piles of rocks everywhere. At one giant pile there were several people walking a tightrope between the top of hte boulders. Very cool and scary to watch.The color of the rocks against the sky, the patterns of shadows, and the sheer beauty of such a simplifed environment made for a good photo day as well!

Tree slice patterns

Walking through the forest at 8500 feet in the San Jacinto forest I find all kinds of beautiful patterns , some of which I hope will become new art quilts in my Line Dancing series.

Light lines

 

Following the light around the house and finding patterns everywhere.

Pattern on pattern

Pattern on pattern in the courtyard.

Full moon over mountains

The full moon with halo and clouds out the window last night. It was huge and striking.This moon is known as the Snow Moon - thankfully NO snow in sight in Palm Desert. I am sure we will still have plenty when we return to Illinois.

Ruffled edges

I love the ruffled edges on these agaves. I can see a stitched pattern with red thread.

Kathleen's kaleidoscope variations

My friend and fellow artist, Kathleen Cunningham, has been shooting kaleidoscope images with her IPad. She shared her images with me and I have done some further manipulations. It has been fun to share images back and forth. This one is of tree branch textures.

Death Valley sights

We went to several areas in Death Valley yesterday - fascinating geological differences. And I took lots of photos, really worked hard at getting good photos. And downloaded them to computer, and lost them - not sure how but they are definitely gone.  I am bummed about that. But we made good memories and will go back again now that we know more about what is there and how to plan to see more. This photo is of the Devil's Golf Course - uplifted earth with salt crystals - these "lumps" are up to your knee. Not easy walking!

Curling bark

This mostly dead tree had the most wonderful shredded and curling bark. The layers of textures had great depth and interest.

Desert tree branches

These tree branches and flowers were silhouetted against the setting sun. I soliarzed the photo to enhance the delicacy of the branches.

Driving and stitching

We have been in the car most of the day traveling up to Death Valley from Palm Desert. Desert and more desert on the way but the colors and shapes and textures are wonderful. Along the way I have been stitching with black and gray thread on linen. It is meditative to stich and look out the window.
Tomorrow we are going to explore the park. I want to get up early to catch the light on the mountains and valleys.

Blue water

The sculpture garden at the Palm Desert Art Museum has a wonderful dry riverbed walkway that wanders through it. Blue glass is imbedded in it and it sparkes in the sun as you walk along it. Art in motion1

Another beautiful sunrise

The sunrises here (Palm desert, CA)  have been beautiful every morning - we have had more cloud cover the past few days but it adds to the beauty of the sky.

Another pink sunrise

 There is not a time of day that I don't enjoy looking at the mountains here, but I seem to be up earlier then ever so I see the sun come over the mountains every morning. And the chances are good that there will be sunshine everyday so there is always something to see happening.

Texture and pattern

One of the things I love about the desert is the plants - there is so much to look at in terms of texture and pattern. The play of sunlight snd shadow makes everything look  sharp and defined.
I go for a walk and the camera gets a workout because I am stopping to look at all the different things I see along the way. I shott all these same things last year but I still need to look again.

Palm Desert sunrise

Up early this morning - there is  just a hint of pink showing in the east over the mountains. So happy to be here at last. I feel like I can breathe again.

Playing with Kaleidoscope images

I spent my snow day yesterday playing on Spoonflower with some of the kaleidoscope images that I had taken a week or so ago. I can't find a way to show the yardage but these at least show some of hte changes I made in Photoshop to get different effects. I am not getting anything printed but they are saved on Spoonflower for future use. The last one when I do a mirror image of it looks really great almost like cuneiform writing on a clay tablet. hat it started out as was the handles on my kitchen cabinets.

Going nowhere

Timing is everything. I am supposed to be on the way to Palm Desert today for a month of sun and fun. But becasue we are in the  midst of yet another snowstorm that plan has been changed to leaving tomorrow instead. It is hard to imagine a place that is warm and sunny right now! So I have been looking at some photos I took the last time I was there to revive my imagination. This is the first one - the color green, not white or grey but green. I can't wait to see green!

And blue, water and sun on water, and rippling water. Blue would be great.